My thoughts and feelings.

Small Beauty

Lately I’ve been learning how to enjoy things in nature that I have taken for granted most of my life. Believe it or not, I’m now a bird-watcher. The one I enjoy the most flies through the air at incredibly fast speeds and only weighs as much as a dime. They are a gorgeous shade of green with a brilliant red neck. Yep, I’ve learned to enjoy watching hummingbirds, specifically Ruby Throated Hummingbirds.

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that we’ve recently purchased a cottage in the woods and there is a wide variety of wildlife to enjoy and the hummingbird is one of the smallest, yet one of the most fascinating. When we first began to spend time up here we saw a few hummingbirds darting around and decided to put up some feeders. What started with 1 feeder has now turned into 8 and I’ve also planted many various flowers that attract Hummingbirds. When I get in to something I REALLY get in to it. 🙂

It’s so exciting to be sitting quietly on the porch and suddenly hear that familiar hum. A hummingbird seems to appear out of nowhere and is sipping nectar from one of the feeders. It is fascinating to watch them continually dip their slender beak into the feeder and then quickly dart to another feeder. At times it can be like watching an action-packed movie. Hummingbirds can be quite territorial about their feeders and they often turn into miniature fighter jets as they dive-bomb each other and chase each other through the trees.

The colors on the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird are truly breath-taking. The back of the male is a bright, iridescent green and when he turns his head certain ways his neck almost lights up with the brightest red you can imagine. The females are also a pretty green, but as with most other birds, the male steals the show as far as looks.

We recently put 2 feeders up right on the porch railing so roughly 3-4 feet in front of us. I LOVE when they come and feed right in front of me. To watch their little wings beating and see them dipping into the flowers at such close range is a thrill. I’m hoping to work up to the point where they eat out of a feeder in my hand.

I know I sound like an old lady, but trust me, you should take time to appreciate the beauty of this tiny bird. There is so much joy and beauty in the world that you can enjoy if you just take the time to notice it. I’m totally content with the status of ‘old-lady’ if it means I can appreciate more and more things in my life no matter how small.